Armed Forces: Compensation

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has paid to relatives of servicemen killed in action in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: It is not possible to provide a definitive figure for all aspects of the payments made to bereaved families as benefits are payable under a range of different provisions and as the information is not held centrally it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Armed Forces Pension Scheme provides a death in-service lump sum and the appropriate family forces pensions, including enhanced payments were death is related to service. It is estimated that at least £14 million has been paid in death in-service lump sums over the last five years to the families of those killed in action.
	The War Pension Scheme provides for ongoing payments to families of personnel killed, as a result of service, before 6 April 2005, with the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) making that provision for those who have died since that date. In addition to a Guaranteed Income Payment, a Bereavement Grant of up to £20,000 is payable under AFCS. Payments amounting to some £8.8 million have been made to bereaved families under AFCS since 2005 including those killed in a non-operational environment where death was attributable to service.
	Funeral grants are also payable where a service funeral is held or the cost of a private funeral (up to a current maximum of £2,786) will be met. In the region of £112,000 has been paid in funeral costs. In addition costs associated with family attendance at repatriation ceremonies and any pre-inquest and inquest hearings are met by the MOD.